Gareth Southgate has unsurprisingly named an unchanged side for England's semi-final clash with Croatia - as the Three Lions bid to reach the World Cup final for the first time since 1966.

After ringing the changes for England's final group game against Belgium last month, Southgate has picked the same line-up for each of his side's three knockout games, with Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ashley Young, Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard all starting.

That loyalty has been rewarded - the Three Lions ended their World Cup penalty curse against Colombia in the last 16 and then beat Sweden 2-0 in the quarter-finals to set up tonight's semi-final against Croatia.

It is the first time England have reached this stage of the World Cup since Italia '90 and the first time they have gotten to the last four of an international tournament since Euro '96.

So what can they expect from Croatia, who are ranked 20th in the FIFA rankings?

Zlatko Dalic's side have already played two exhausting knockout games against Denmark and Russia, winning both on penalties, and are undefeated at this summer's tournament.

With Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Marcelo Brozovic in the middle of the park, understandably, Southgate is taking nothing for granted.

"They will be the best team we’ve played,” he told reporters. “For us as a team, yes, it’s another chance to create a small piece of history. We’re only the second team to reach a semi-final out of our country, and that’s quite significant.

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"In 1996, we had every game at Wembley and that was an advantage for us. We’ve got to keep getting over those hurdles. The more of these tests we can come through, the better. Not just for now, but moving forward.”

The winner will face France at the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday after Les Bleus beat Belgium 1-0 on Tuesday night.